SpaceX go for Sunday night launch

9:26 PM,
Oct. 6, 2012

In this photo made available by NASA, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule attached begins a rollout demonstration test in Cape Canaveral, Fla. On Sunday night, Oct. 7, 2012, the private space company will attempt to launch another capsule full of food, clothes and science experiments for the astronauts at the space station. The company hopes to repeat the success of its test flight in May 2012. (AP Photo/NASA, Jim Grossmann)

Written by

James Dean
FLORIDA TODAY

SpaceX planned to roll a Falcon 9 rocket out of its Cape Canaveral hangar Saturday night in preparation for an 8:35 p.m. Sunday launch to the International Space Station.

The launch of a Dragon capsule packed with nearly 1,000 pounds of cargo marks the start of a new era of supplying the station with commercial vehicles following the end of the space shuttle program. "Just over a year after the shuttle retirement, we're poised to start commercial cargo supply and return services to the space station," said Sam Scimemi, ISS director at NASA headquarters. "These flight's are critical to the ...